2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general civil engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools
Cuny Laguardia Community College earned the #1 spot for value among general civil engineering schools in the United States. Cuny Laguardia Community College is a large public school located in the city of Long Island City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,218, with out-of-state students paying around $8,098. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $8,858. General Civil Engineering graduates of Cuny Laguardia Community College earn a median of $31,437 early in their careers. Set against $8,858 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
El Paso Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general civil engineering schools. Located in the city of El Paso, El Paso Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,274 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $5,314. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $8,542. General Civil Engineering graduates of El Paso Community College earn a median of $29,086 early in their careers. Set against $8,542 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Other General Civil Engineering Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value General Civil Engineering rankings across degree levels:
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 324 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
[General Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/general-civil-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
